People

“...It comes from truly knowing your business, all the intricacies and unsexy details. Witkoff learned that way and hires people willing to do the same”

— Inc.

Leadership Team

Steven Witkoff

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Scott Alper

President & Chief Investment Officer

Alex Witkoff

Executive Vice President, Development

Lisa Marchese

Chief Operating Officer

Brett Mufson

Executive Vice President, Capital Markets

James Stomber

General Counsel

Craig Murphy

Executive Vice President, Construction

Lauren Witkoff

Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Howard Leist

Senior Vice President, Architecture

Anthony Corrao

Chief Accounting Officer

Adam Gottlieb

Senior Vice President, Development

Scott Broder

Senior Vice President, Hotel Acquisitions

Lea Guberina-Sulc

Senior Vice President, Development

Marco Sulin

Senior Vice President, Construction

Eddie Greenberg

Senior Vice President, Construction and Development

Richard McKinley

Senior Vice President, Construction

John Greaney

Senior Vice President, Construction

Shane Smith

Senior Vice President, Development and Strategy

Zach Witkoff

Vice President, Development

Joon Oh

Vice President, Capital Markets

Ricardo Kendall

Vice President, Interior Architecture

Team — Meet Our People

Steven Witkoff

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Scott Alper

President & Chief Investment Officer

Alex Witkoff

Executive Vice President, Development

Lisa Marchese

Chief Operating Officer

Brett Mufson

Executive Vice President, Capital Markets

James Stomber

General Counsel

Craig Murphy

Executive Vice President, Construction

Lauren Witkoff

Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Howard Leist

Senior Vice President, Architecture

Anthony Corrao

Chief Accounting Officer

Adam Gottlieb

Senior Vice President, Development

Scott Broder

Senior Vice President, Hotel Acquisitions

Lea Guberina-Sulc

Senior Vice President, Development

Marco Sulin

Senior Vice President, Construction

Eddie Greenberg

Senior Vice President, Construction and Development

Richard McKinley

Senior Vice President, Construction

John Greaney

Senior Vice President, Construction

Shane Smith

Senior Vice President, Development and Strategy

Zach Witkoff

Vice President, Development

Joon Oh

Vice President, Capital Markets

Ricardo Kendall

Vice President, Interior Architecture

People

Steven Witkoff

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Steven Witkoff is Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of the firm, which he founded in 1997. With his extensive experience in all aspects of the development process, from financing and acquisitions through construction, he has successfully led the repositioning of over 70 properties comprising some 18 million square feet in major central business districts in the U.S. and abroad.

Before founding the firm, Mr. Witkoff co-founded Stellar Management Company, where he acquired and repositioned a portfolio of residential buildings in New York City. Prior to Stellar Management Company, Mr. Witkoff practiced as an attorney in real estate law at Dreyer & Traub and Rosenman & Colin, where he represented a number of large developers and investors.

Mr. Witkoff earned a J.D. from Hofstra University. He has served on the Executive Committee for the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) as a trustee for the Intrepid Foundation, and as a board member for the Jeffrey Modell Foundation. Mr. Witkoff currently serves as Chairman of the University of Miami Business School Real Estate Advisory Board and is a member of the Hofstra University Board of Trustees. He is a widely sought-after public speaker on trends in global real estate.

People

Scott Alper

President & Chief Investment Officer

Scott Alper is President & Chief Investment Officer as well as a partner in the firm. He is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Witkoff’s investments, operations, and financings. Since joining Witkoff in 1997, he has overseen both equity and structured investments predominately in residential, hospitality, and office asset classes.

Mr. Alper holds a B.S. from the New York University Stern School of Business and is currently on the Board of Governors of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) and the Board of the Madison Square Park Conservancy.

People

Alex Witkoff

Executive Vice President, Development

Alex Witkoff is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Witkoff’s development activities. He is currently overseeing the West Hollywood EDITION project, which is comprised of a 190-key hotel and 20 branded residences in Los Angeles, California, as well as Drew Las Vegas, a 4,000-room integrated resort adjacent to the expanded Las Vegas Convention Center. Mr. Witkoff has garnered a track record of consistently executing creative strategies across diverse asset classes.

Prior to joining the company, Mr. Witkoff honed his expertise in real estate and private equity as a real estate investing analyst at Morgan Stanley. He also gained experience in the industry working with Eastdil Secured, Highgate Hotels, and The Trump Organization.

Mr. Witkoff graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, where he received a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance and Real Estate.

People

Lisa Marchese

Chief Operating Officer

Lisa Marchese joined Witkoff as Chief Operating Officer in December 2017. With deep experience in consumer and market insight development, quantitative analytics, and the shaping of disruptive business and creative strategies, Ms. Marchese leads the development and execution of Witkoff’s customer-centric growth strategy. She is actively involved in building the Witkoff brand, enhancing the performance of individual assets, and driving business line expansion.

Prior to her appointment at Witkoff, Ms. Marchese served as Chief Marketing Officer at The Venetian and The Palazzo, directing the marketing and sales strategies for both resorts as well as the Sands Expo Center. Before joining Las Vegas Sands, Ms. Marchese held the position of Chief Marketing Officer for The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, overseeing the launch of the brand and the evolution of the business through to the Blackstone purchase of the asset. Ms. Marchese also served as VP Brand Management and Growth for Caesars Entertainment, where, in addition to her brand portfolio oversight role, she drove brand expansion into international markets. Prior, Ms. Marchese was an Associate Partner at Prophet and also led the interactive team at Siegel+Gale.

Ms. Marchese attended Roanoke College, where she received a B.A. with honors in International Relations and a minor in Economics.

People

Brett Mufson

Executive Vice President, Capital Markets

Brett Mufson is principally responsible for all capital markets and acquisition-related efforts at Witkoff. Since 2009, Mr. Mufson has successfully led the sourcing, structuring, and executing of debt and equity funding for the firm’s investments. With deep experience in all aspects of the development process, from capital markets and acquisitions through construction, he has played an integral role in over $5 billion of development and real property transactions in the residential, multi-family, office, and hospitality sectors throughout the U.S.

Prior to Witkoff, Mr. Mufson worked at LoanCore Capital, a $1.5 billion commercial real estate debt fund, where he was responsible for originating, structuring, and underwriting commercial real estate loans throughout the U.S. Earlier in his career, Mr. Mufson worked at J.P. Morgan (Bear Stearns), where he gained extensive experience in all aspects of commercial mortgage-backed securities and collateralized debt obligations.

Mr. Mufson is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and actively involved in many real estate, art, and charitable organizations, including the Whitney Museum, Mount Sinai Hospital, and the New York Private Equity Network (NYPEN).

People

James Stomber

General Counsel

James Stomber is the General Counsel for Witkoff. He has been with the company since its inception and is responsible for the management of all legal affairs. Mr. Stomber has extensive experience and is involved in all of the firm’s projects, from acquisition and construction through disposition, as well as complex joint ventures and financing.

Leading up to Witkoff, Mr. Stomber was a partner at Jones Day, one of the world’s leading law firms, where he specialized in workouts and restructurings representing numerous non-U.S. financial institutions and U.S.-based pension funds. He also represented major hospitality companies and served as principal outside counsel to a major real estate developer in the tri-state area on all development and corporate matters.

Mr. Stomber holds a J.D. from New England School of Law and a B.A. from Franklin & Marshall College.

People

Craig Murphy

Executive Vice President, Construction

Craig Murphy has been with the firm since its inception and is responsible for the oversight of all Witkoff construction. In his 25 years of experience, Mr. Murphy has successfully led over a billion dollars of development including complicated conversions such as 10 Hanover Square, 55 Wall Street, the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach, and 10 Madison Square West, as well as ground-up developments such as 150 Charles Street, the PUBLIC Hotel New York & 215 Chrystie Street Residences, 20 Times Square, the West Hollywood EDITION Hotel & Residences, and The Capitol at Chelsea.

Prior to this, Mr. Murphy worked for Stellar Management and as a Civil Engineer in Harvard, MA.

Mr. Murphy received his Civil Engineering degree from Syracuse University and is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

People

Lauren Witkoff

Executive Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Lauren Witkoff leads all Witkoff sales and marketing efforts, with a focus on the development of new condominiums. Since joining the firm, Ms. Witkoff successfully marketed projects such as 515 East 72nd Street, 150 Charles Street, 10 Madison Square West, 111 Murray Street and the residences at the West Hollywood EDITION.

Prior to joining Witkoff, Ms. Witkoff worked as a real estate attorney and broker specializing in commercial leasing and real estate transactions at the New York law firms of Dreyer & Traub and Botein, Hays & Sklar.

Ms. Witkoff graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Rochester and received a J.D. degree with honors from the George Washington University School of Law. Ms. Witkoff sits on the board of multiple charitable organizations, including the City of Hope and the Jeffrey Modell Foundation, and has fundraised for the ASPCA and the Humane Society.

People

Howard Leist

Senior Vice President, Architecture

Howard Leist is responsible for the quality and coordination of Witkoff design—from concept through construction. Mr. Leist is an architect with over 25 years of experience leading design teams on complex projects in both the residential and commercial space.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Leist was Director of Architectural Design at SLCE Architects, where he specialized in high-rise residential development. Before SLCE, Mr. Leist was Design Partner at HLW International, Design Director at Gensler, and Design Director at Swanke Hayden Connell Architects, where he won a New York AIA award in 2000.

Mr. Leist received a B.A. in Design and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a master’s degree in Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design. Mr. Leist is a LEED-certified, registered architect in New York and California and a member of The American Institute of Architects.

People

Anthony Corrao

Chief Accounting Officer

Anthony Corrao is responsible for the oversight and management of the Witkoff firm’s accounting department.

Prior to Witkoff, Mr. Corrao worked as Controller for Stellar Management and AKAM Associates, and spent 7 years working in public accounting. Mr. Corrao received a B.S. in Accounting from Long Island University.

People

Adam Gottlieb

Senior Vice President, Development

Adam Gottlieb has over a decade of real estate development experience and currently oversees the development of new Witkoff projects in California, including the West Hollywood EDITION and 500 Broadway in Santa Monica. As a part of the Witkoff team, he has also overseen the development of numerous properties, including 150 Charles Street and 10 Madison Square West in New York.

Prior to joining Witkoff, Mr. Gottlieb worked for Toll Brothers Inc., New York City Living division. There, he directed the development of several condominium projects in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Mr. Gottlieb received a B.S. from Cornell University in Design and Environmental Analysis, as well as a master’s degree in Real Estate from New York University.

People

Scott Broder

Senior Vice President, Hotel Investments

Scott Broder is responsible for overseeing both future and current hotel investments for the firm.

Earlier in Mr. Broder’s career, he was the Director of Acquisitions at Sunstone Hotel Investors ("Sunstone"), a ~$5 billion total enterprise value publicly traded REIT (NYSE: SHO). During his time at Sunstone, Mr. Broder played a key role in over $1.5 billion of transactions, including the acquisitions of Boston Park Plaza, Hyatt Regency San Francisco, and the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

Mr. Broder also previously worked in the asset management group at Sunstone, which oversaw more than 30 hotels valued at over $5 billion. There, he developed the Sunstone Energy Efficiency Program, which reduced utility expenses by over $3 million annually across the portfolio.

People

Lea Guberina-Sulc

Senior Vice President, Development

Lea Guberina-Sulc is responsible for the oversight of development on several projects, including 701 7th Avenue and 215 Chrystie Street in New York, and is currently working on Witkoff’s multi-billion dollar development project in Las Vegas. Ms. Guberina-Sulc has over 10 years of real estate experience. Prior to joining Witkoff, Ms. Guberina-Sulc worked at BlackRock in the Real Estate Private Equity Group, covering acquisitions for the New York tri-state area and Pennsylvania. She was also a member of the real estate portfolio management team, where she was responsible for portfolio analytics, fund investment strategies, and investor relations. Prior to joining BlackRock, she worked at Cape Advisors as a project manager on several luxury condominium and hotel projects.

Ms. Guberina-Sulc graduated Summa Cum Laude from New York University and received her MBA with Dean’s Honors from Columbia Business School with a concentration in Real Estate and Finance.

People

Marco Sulin

Senior Vice President, Construction

Marco Sulin is responsible for overseeing the construction of Witkoff’s development projects in California, including the West Hollywood EDITION. Previously, Mr. Sulin directed the construction of Witkoff’s 10 Madison Square West condominium development. Mr. Sulin has 15 years of experience in construction management and 5 years of experience in consulting engineering.

Before Witkoff, Mr. Sulin worked for Plaza Construction LLC and Tishman Construction Corporation. He has directed projects in New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, the United Arab Emirates, and Canada.

Mr. Sulin received his Bachelor of Applied Science in Geological Engineering from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. He is a Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) with the Canadian Society for Professional Engineers.

People

Eddie Greenberg

Senior Vice President, Construction and Development

Eddie Greenberg is a senior member of the development team who is responsible for the completion of Drew Las Vegas.

Mr. Greenberg has been with Witkoff since 2010, overseeing several of firm’s development projects. Mr. Greenberg directed construction and development of the Times Square EDITION in New York and the Washington Park Hotel in Miami Beach. Mr. Greenberg is also part of the teams that completed 10 Madison Square West and 150 Charles Street in New York, as well as the Hilton Cabana Miami Beach.

Mr. Greenberg received his B.S. in Finance from Tulane University.

People

Richard McKinley

Senior Vice President, Construction

Richard McKinley is the senior member of the construction team who is responsible for the oversight of the pool deck and convention center at Drew Las Vegas.

Mr. McKinley has 33 years of construction management and development experience in both the United States and Europe. Mr. McKinley has primarily worked on large residential and hospitality projects throughout his career in New York, Miami, London, and Barcelona. Most recently, Mr. McKinley served as Development Manager for the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown and 30 Park Place Private Residences. Mr. McKinley’s expertise includes procurement, scheduling, cost control, technical coordination, and managing large and small design and construction teams.

Mr. McKinley received his Civil Engineering degree from Case Western Reserve University in 1985.

People

John Greaney

Senior Vice President, Construction

John Greaney has over a decade of construction experience in New York City and has overseen delivery of several Witkoff projects including 150 Charles Street, 10 Madison Square West, and PUBLIC Hotel New York & 215 Chrystie Street Residences.

Prior to Witkoff, Mr. Greaney served as a project manager with Caldwell & Walsh Building Construction, Inc. in New York. At Caldwell, Mr. Greaney managed medical, educational and residential construction projects for major hospitals and educational institutions in New York.

Mr. Greaney graduated Cum Laude from Villanova University and received his M.S. in Construction Management from New York University.

People

Shane Smith

Senior Vice President, Development and Strategy

Shane Smith drives growth at Witkoff using a customer-led approach. He is responsible for strategic offer development and customer experience design, tapping into consumer needs and cultural trends to maximize the value created for end users. He also ensures that value gets communicated through strategic branding and communications.

Mr. Smith has worked on creating breakthrough customer experiences and emotionally connected brands his entire career as a marketer. Prior to Witkoff, he focused on new brand and product development as well as customer insights as the Vice President, Marketing Strategy and Customer Experience at The Venetian and The Palazzo (Las Vegas Sands). Earlier in his career, he helped launch The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas and developed marketing strategy across channels as the Chief of Staff to the Chief Marketing Officer. Prior, he held positions as Marketing Director at One Medical Group, a venture-backed startup that is revolutionizing primary care, and as an Engagement Manager at Prophet, a brand and marketing strategy consultancy.

Mr. Smith holds a B.A. in Engineering Sciences from Dartmouth College, an M.S. in Applied Math from Harvard University, and an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

People

Zach Witkoff

Vice President, Development

Zach Witkoff plays an integral role in helping to oversee Witkoff’s West Coast projects, including the West Hollywood EDITION, which is comprised of 190 hotel rooms and 20 branded residences. Mr. Witkoff also had a pivotal position in the opening of PUBLIC Hotel, a 370-room hotel on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Prior to joining Witkoff, Mr. Witkoff worked in the real estate group at Wells Fargo. He also gained expertise working for the Ian Schrager Company.

Mr. Witkoff graduated Cum Laude from the University of Miami with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in Real Estate.

People

Joon Oh

Vice President, Capital Markets

Joon Oh is a Vice President on the Capital Markets team and works extensively in underwriting, structuring, and executing new debt and equity investments, as well as various capital market transactions involving the firm's existing portfolio. Mr. Oh has been involved in the firm’s projects from acquisition and construction through disposition in residential, hospitality, and office asset classes.

Prior to joining Witkoff, Mr. Oh worked at Eastdil Secured and Wells Fargo Securities as an investment banker covering a broad range of real estate transactions.

Mr. Oh received a B.S. degree with a major in Finance, Management and Real Estate from the University of Virginia, The McIntire School of Commerce.

People

Ricardo Kendall

Vice President, Interior Architecture

Ricardo Kendall is responsible for the oversight of the interior design quality and coordination from concept phase to project closure. Mr. Kendall is an architect with experience leading design teams on complex residential spaces of various scales, types, and budgets.

Previously, Mr. Kendall was an Associate at Robert A.M. Stern Architects, leading the interior architecture on high-end luxury multi-family developments and Institutional projects. Prior to joining Robert A.M. Stern Architects, Mr. Kendall worked for Architecture in Formation of New York City, where his work included several residential award-winning projects by Interior Design Magazine award-winning residential projects, ranging from social housing to single family residences, among others.

Mr. Kendall spent the first year of his career in London, where he focused mainly on hospitality projects. His work has been published in Architectural Record, Interior Design Magazine, and ArchDaily, among others. Additionally, Mr. Kendall sits on the NY Metro Delta Faucet Company Advisory Board.

Mr. Kendall received his bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Porto and studied abroad at the Polytechnic University of Milan.

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Alex Witkoff

Executive Vice President, Development

Alex Witkoff is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Witkoff’s development activities. He is currently overseeing the West Hollywood EDITION project, which is comprised of a 190-key hotel and 20 branded residences in Los Angeles, California, as well as Drew Las Vegas, a 4,000-room integrated resort adjacent to the expanded Las Vegas Convention Center. Mr. Witkoff has garnered a track record of consistently executing creative strategies across diverse asset classes.

Prior to joining the company, Mr. Witkoff honed his expertise in real estate and private equity as a real estate investing analyst at Morgan Stanley. He also gained experience in the industry working with Eastdil Secured, Highgate Hotels, and The Trump Organization.

Mr. Witkoff graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, where he received a B.S. in Economics with a concentration in Finance and Real Estate.